Armed thugs disrupt voting process, destroy ballot boxes in Osun

Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo

Armed political thugs, on Saturday morning, disrupted the peaceful process of the house of assembly election in Osun State.

Our correspondent, who monitored the election gathered that some parts of Osogbo, Ile-Ife, and Ilesa were marred with violence and the destruction of ballot boxes.

At ward 5, units 10 and 11, Iso- Pako, Alekuwodo in Osogbo, the voting process was disrupted by thugs scaring voters with gunshots.
Ballot boxes and papers were destroyed while the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC officials scampered for safety.

However, after a while, security operatives were mobilised to the scene and normalcy was restored.

Some voters returned to the polling units to cast their votes as officers manned the units.

Also, in Ile-Ife, our correspondent reports that at Ojatuntun Iremo, Ward 3, unit 18, ballot boxes and papers were destroyed.

One of the voters, identified as Suliyat narrated their ordeal. She explained that the voting process was initially peaceful until some political thugs invaded the scene with cutlasses and canes.

“The thugs from the other party threatened us while the election was going on peacefully earlier. They came on motorcycles with cutlasses and canes.
“They broke the ballot boxes with the cutlasses and we were chased with the canes. We were deprived of our right to vote. We are sincerely pained with this act,” she lamented.

Voters remained at polling unit in their numbers, lamenting and calling for justice but security operatives were not sighted at the scene.

Some thugs were still seen parading the area before our correspondent left the scene.